Tire-armor.



' W. C. FRANCIS.

TIRE ARIOR. urucmon mm ln'. :0. ma.

1,300,946. Patented Apr. 15,1919. 2 gums-sum 1.

-- g nywnloz PW (lFran oils W. C. FRANCIS.

TIRE ARMOR. APPLICATION "LED 11.30. 1918.

l,300,946. Pzitented Apr. 15, 1919. 2 SHEETS SHEET 2- a n \mutoz JZV. dIranci/Q WALTER C. FRANCIS, O1 CLABKFBU'B-G, WEST VIRGINIA.

TEE-AS11103.

' Application filed 1mm :0,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Wanna C. FRANCIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clarkshurg, in the cornty of Harrison and. State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tire Arinors,

of which the following is a specificati9n. I This invention relates to a pneumatic tire attachment designed to serve as aprotecto'r for such tires as well-as to assist in absorbing any-sio'clco r iar to which' the wheel carrying th i-t-ire'inay be subjected;

The inventibu -further consists in the con-' st-ruct on, combination arid operative arrangement of parts set forth in the following description and falling within the scope of what is claimed.

In the drawings,

Fi ure 1 is aside elevation of a vehicle whee l provided with in improvement.

Fig. 2 is a greatly en arged sectionahview approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the i'netalprotectpr band.

4 is a perspective view of the yoke nuun er anployed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the lates loosely associated with the yoke.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the numeral 1 designates an ordinary vehicle wheel having on its telly 9. the usual rim 3. engaging the pneumatic tire 4. I

My improvement contemplates the employmcnt ot' a metal band 5 semicircular in i cross section which entirely surrounds the tire 4. The hand 5 is centrally ormed,upon its outer face with a thickened portion 6 having its edges formed with outstanding continuous flanges 7, and between these flanges is arranged a solid rubber tread The hand 5 has its edges formed with outstanding flanges .9 provided, atspaced' intcrvnls with (awnings 10. Through these openings pass the reduced ends 11 of rod numbers 12. each of the said reduced ends 11 hcina; tlircadial'nmi being enga ed by a cap nut 13 which contacts with 510 outer surface of the flanges 9. The shoulder at the reduced end 11 contacts with the inner surface of the llangos '3, so that the rod members 12 are rigidly connected with the band ii.

()n the feilr 2, at desired spaced intervals are arranget metallic yokes 14, the side nu'unbers ct tilt! said yoke-s having: openings through which pass securing elements 1:"),

specification of Letter: Intent.

Patented Apr. 15. 1919.

ms. mm m. 22am.

such as screws, which hold the yokes on the felly. Each of the yokes is disposed in aline'ment with the p ppsitely dis )osed pairs of rods-12, and can of the yo res is contrally provided with an inwardly directed threaded steui16.

Loosely arranged on the stem 16 of each of the yokes 14 is a plate 17, the said plate )rojcrtmg be end the sides of the folly and in r provit ed, adjacent its ends with openi gs 18 through which pass reduced threa ed members 19 formed on the inner endsof the rods 12. The shoulders 20 provided by the reduced threaded extensions 19 of the rods contact with the outer faces of the plates 17, and on the members 19 are arran cd cap nuts 23 which'contact with helical springs 24 that surround the said oxtensions 19, exerting a pressure upon the said springs to force the same agamstthe p ates 17, and cause the said lates to contact with the shouldeis 20 o the rodslil. Surrounding the stem 16 of each of the yokes 1-l is a spring 25 of a greater strength than the s )rin 24, and screwedon the stem '16 of each 0 the yokes is a cap nut 26 which regulates the tension of thesprings 25 and forces the plate 17 in contact with the outer straight face or surfhce of the yoke 14.

i l The circular-baud 5 is arranged on the tire 4 before the said tire has been fully inflated,

and as the band surrounds the tire for approximately one-half the diameter thereof the treadsurface of the tire will be fullyprotected thereby. The yokes being secured to the folly an being connected witlrthe rods holdthe band 5 from creeping around the tire. The springs 24 exert a, pressure to forcethe band into contact with the tire,and the air in the tire forces the hand outward therefrom, thus )roviding resilient coinpensatin means stwecn the tire and the mud. 'lhe springs 25, which, as stated, ('0 of a greater stmngth than the springs 24 oxdrb a pressure against the plates 17 to for p the same in the direction of the band 5,":md consequently relieves the hand from undue pressure upon the tire. Any shocks or jars to which t ic wheel will be subjected is ahsorixul or taken up h the springs, and it is believed that the simplicity and advantages of the construction will be fully undcrstmid'without further detailed description. It is to he nndcrstmxl that the inner reducr'l ends 19 of the rods 12 pass freely Ill) through the openings 18 in the plate 17,1150 f I in cross sec ion that a slight eireluuferential movement tween the tire armor and'the' feily is thus provided. Having thus described the invent1on,'what .:I:(!i1liltl,i$t I Ih 'a protector (omb'mutiou with a wheel carrying such a tire, of s )aeed yokcs surrounding the'feily of thefiwi eel'and secured thereto, each of said'yokes having a centrally threaded stem, plates (uch' provided with a central 0 ening and with openings-adjaceutthe ends t iereof and 'the central opening receiving the stems of the respective yoke s, nuts en the stems, springs surroundin -the stems and contaeted by the nuts for athustingthe tension of the 's )rings and for forcing the latter against t 1e plate to cause the same to hug the inner for pneumatic tires, the

i i of the fell a band-semicircular arra ged on the tread sur:

face of the tire said band having. its'centrai,

jportion thickened and provided withspaeed outstanding flanges, a compressible tread between the flanges, the edges of theband having outstanding flanges which are aper tuied, rod members having reduced threaded ends extending through dates and t rough the openings 1n the anges, bolts on the nuts, springs on the ends'of the rods-passing through the plate and'eoutacted b y the nuts thereon for adjusting the tension of the said springs and for yieldably sustaining the rods on the plates;

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' WALTER c. FRANCIS.

e openings in the 

